Ko-Kwel Wellness Center

S+B James Construction is the design-build general contractor for the new Ko-Kwel
Wellness Center. Construction began in April and is now completed. The new Center is a 22,060-square-foot building, nearly three times the size of the tribe’s current Community Health Center. When open, the center will offer primary care, dental care, behavioral health, a pharmacy and other services. The tribe intentionally named it a “wellness center” to reflect a focus on serving each patient’s overall needs.

The center is built atop a former cranberry bog on the tribe’s Kilkich Reservation near Charleston. Its design will reflect the tribe’s indigenous heritage: Its exterior evokes a tribal plank house, with a main entrance simulating a traditional round door. The interior corridors trace the shape of a leister forked fishing spear, a common symbol of the Coquille Tribe. The space between the fork’s tines form an interior courtyard where patients can relax in a secluded serene environment.

The word “Ko-Kwel” in the center’s name highlights the historical pronunciation of the tribe’s own name. Although the city and river bearing the Coquille name are commonly pronounced “ko-keel,” the tribe has revived the older pronunciation in recent decades.

Client: Coquille Indian Tribe